The Philippines Open International Championships[1] and later known as PHILTA International Championships or simply the Philippines Open was an international men's and women's clay then later court tennis tournament founded in 1918 as the Philippine Championships . It was first organised by the Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA) and first played at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, Manila, Philippines. This international tournament was part of the ILTF World Circuit until 1978 when it was discontinued.[1]
History
In 1906 the Manila (Philippine Islands) Lawn Tennis Association was founded. In 1913 it became the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association formally incorporated in 1920. In 1936 it joined the International Lawn Tennis Federation.[2] In 1920 PhilLTA organised the first International Championships of the Philippines.[1]
In 1907 the Championship of the Orient tournament was held in Manila until 1909 and played at the Philippine Amateur Athletic Association tennis court grounds before it was discontinued for one year.[3] In 1911 it was revived until 1917.[4] The Philippines Championships tournament had its origins in the Oriental Tennis Championships event,[5] an early ancestor event of the Asian Championships.[1]
In 1918 the Philippines Championships were held for the first time, and were played at the Manila Tennis Club. In 1920 that tournament became a fully open event called the Philippines Open Championships.[1] From 1918 until 1924 it was an event for men only.[1] In 1925 a women's event was established.[1] In 1934 the Manila Carnival Grounds was renamed and this tournament was then played at the newly built Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium on clay courts. In 1940 the Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium was renamed as the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, that now included an indoor stadium.
In 1959 two editions of the men's event were held one in later January and the other in early December.[1] In 1961 two editions of the men's event were played again one in the first week of February on outdoor clay courts,[1] the second during the mid two weeks of month on outdoor hard courts.[1] In 1972 this tournament usually held in February was moved to November that year.[1] For the years 1973 to 1978 it was also valid as the Manila International Championships (f.1968) or Manila Open also played in November.[6] The tournament was discontinued in 1978.
Philta International Championships (1975, 1977–1978).[1]
Finals
Men's singles
Notes: In 1959 two editions of the men's event were held one in January denoted as (*) the other in December denoted as (**). In 1961 two editions of the men's were held one in early February denoted as (*) the other in mid February denoted as (**).
(incomplete roll)
^Inahara, Katsuji (1938). "Japan Top Ten Rankings Men". The Japan Year Book. Tokyo: Foreign Affairs Association of Japan. p. 885. No 3.Takeo Matsumoto (Hosei University)
^John Barrett, ed. (1974). World of Tennis '74 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 127. ISBN 9780362001686.
^John Barrett, ed. (1975). World of Tennis '75 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 128. ISBN 9780362002171.
^John Barrett, ed. (1976). World of Tennis '76 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 120, 122. ISBN 9780362002768.
^John Barrett, ed. (1977). World of Tennis 1977 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Janes. p. 117. ISBN 9780354090117.
^John Barrett, ed. (1978). World of Tennis 1978 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Janes. p. 128. ISBN 9780354090391.
^John Barrett, ed. (1979). World of Tennis 1979 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 126. ISBN 978-0354090681.
^"Dorothy Head Captures Manila Tennis Tourney". Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California: Wikipedia Library - Newspaper Archive. Com. 19 February 1951. p. 22. Retrieved 3 October 2023.